Mississippi Falls from March Madness

Sadly, both teams representing Mississippi have lost their March Madness games.

Mississippi State’s men’s team had been one of eight SEC teams picked to compete in this year’s NCAA tournament. Up against their rival name, Michigan State University, these two MSU teams played their hearts out. Upsetting many brackets, Mississippi State’s loss put an end to their remarkable 2023-24 season. The final score came to Michigan State 69, Mississippi State 51, eliminating the Bulldogs in the round of 64. Reflecting on their season, this team had some remarkable feats. With victories over teams like No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Auburn, this team secured the programs first victories against top 10 teams in roughly 20 years. More records were broken with one of State’s star players, freshman Josh Hubbard. Hubbard broke the record for most 3’s scored in a season (98) and became the first freshman to ever win the Howell trophy.

The Rebel’s faced a tough defeat as well, and their season also came to an end in March Madness. The Ole Miss women’s team fell to Notre Dame in the second round of the tournament. After surpassing the round of 64 with a 67-55 win over Marquette, the Rebels were pinned up against Notre Dame. With a 71-56 loss to the Leprechaun’s, the Rebel’s luck ran out. This defeat is no reflection of team’s insanely impressive season, with a 24-9 record overall. They dominated conference play with a 12-4 record and had multiple season games where they put up over 90 points. They went into overtime twice, and won both times, one time being against their rival, the Mississippi State Women’s team.

Both teams have had remarkably successful seasons and have done a great job representing what Mississippi brings to the nation in athletics. They brought heart, grit, and passion- which is what it means to be an athlete in Mississippi.

Author administrator Corinne Ellington